Man United make major Carrick decision after their failure to beat 10-men Spurs

Manchester United have decided to stand by Michael Carrick despite another frustrating result, with INEOS not planning to sack the manager following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

United had a golden chance to take all three points at Old Trafford after Bryan Mbeumo put them ahead and Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off.

Instead, Dominic Solanke equalised deep into stoppage time, leaving Carrick’s side with just six points from their opening six Premier League matches.

That is far from the start United wanted, but the club’s hierarchy are not preparing to make an immediate change.

INEOS still backing Carrick despite poor start

According to TEAMtalk, United’s owners have decided not to alter their stance on Carrick following the Tottenham result.

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey said: “The message from the club, they don’t think they have played too badly.”

He added that United were never expecting a title challenge this season, with Champions League qualification viewed as the more realistic objective.

Bailey continued: “Clearly being in 12th at this point isn’t ideal, but they weren’t putting the pressure on him to have a title charge this season.”

He finished by making United’s current position clear: “The message coming from Old Trafford at the moment is he’s not under pressure.”

Backing Carrick makes sense for Man United

There is a reasonable argument for patience.

Carrick earned the permanent job after guiding United to third last season, so judging him after six league matches would feel premature.

Still, the numbers are uncomfortable. Reuters noted that United’s six points from six games represent their worst start to a league season since 1986/87.

That statistic alone explains why the pressure is building. The bigger concern is how United threw away Saturday’s advantage. They were leading at home against 10 men and still could not close the game out.

INEOS are right not to panic, but Carrick now needs performances to turn into wins. Public backing means very little if the table continues to look ugly.

For the moment, his job is safe. The next few matches will determine how long that remains the case.